Trial Child
by fairfarrenlovelylydia
Summary: Alice agrees to help her friend Alannah Stayne out by keeping her eye on the rambunctious Katarina...trouble ensues. Written for Ranguvar27. Borrowing some of her characters :
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:This was written by me for the wonderful Ranguver27 whose characters I admire and whose stories I adore.**

**Alice, Tarrant, Stayne, Thackery, and Mally all belong to TB, LW, and LC. Alannah and Katarina are all Rang's**

**I hope you enjoy it my friend!**

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><p>It had seemed like a simple enough task for Alice at the time, so she had agreed to do it. Her dear friend, Alannah Stayne, had prepared a day out with her husband Ilosovic and needed Katarina to be able to stay somewhere. Alice loved the littlest Stayne at first sight and the idea of having a toddler around the house was something that the blonde haired woman had been thinking about for some time. She and Tarrant were newly married, neither wanting to rush things, but Alice was itching for a little one and Alannah's beautiful girl tempted her so. Tarrant teased her and said she was jealous that her womb wasn't full yet. In ways she was, but in others she knew that Time wasn't ready for a new Hightopp. To placate her desires she invited the youngster into her house for the day.<p>

Alannah stopped by the Windmill early in the morning, her red hair was shining in the sunlight and she wore a form fitting blue dress. Alice smiled at how beautiful the woman was; she was a sight to look at and in some ways Alice felt utterly plain next to the towering woman. She had Katarina in her arms; the toddler was babbling to herself and every so often put a block of wood in her mouth.

"She's been a bit fussy this morning, wasn't too thrilled with the prospect of mummy and daddy being gone all day." She said with a smile. "But I'm sure she'll do just fine once she's forced to stay."

"I am sure we will have fun together," Alice said with a smile. Alannah turned her daughter in her long arms so that the young girl faced her.

"My baby, you be a good girl. On your best behavior for Alice," She placed a large kiss on the girl's cheek. She giggled. "I should be back by this evening. Thank you again, Alice. I'll have to repay you somehow."

"You're repaying her right now by showing her a Hightopp baby is a few years away." Tarrant walked by the door. Alice shot him an angry look but Alannah placed a hand to her mouth a giggled.

"Children are a lot of work," Alannah said with a nod of her long face. Alice sighed.

"Why does everyone around here think I am stupid? I know that." She scowled. Alannah handed Katarina over to Alice.

"Oh, I didn't mean to sound as if I insulted your intelligence. Just your lack of experience," She laughed. "But Katarina will keep you on your toes, my dear. I must be on my way. Thank you once again Alice!" She turned and began to walk away, waving as she went. Alice balanced Katarina on her hip and watched as the woman went. Katarina picked up her small arm, waving as Alannah went.

"Well Kat, what should we do today?" Alice looked down on the girl.

"Swim!" She cried. Alice sighed.

"We don't have the luxury of a pond around here, my friend, I am afraid." Alice answered the girl as she walked into the house, shutting the door behind her. Tarrant stood in the doorway of the kitchen, a mad smile on his face.

"Deciding what to do?" He asked with a laugh.

"Well, little Kat here thinks we should go swimming." Alice said. Tarrant shook his head. Katarina stared with interest up at Tarrant's signature top hat.

"That's the problem with being raised by a Knave," He smiled as he came close, rubbing his half gloved hands together. "You think all there is to life is serious aerobics. What you need, my friend, is a tea party to madden you up!" He smiled.

"Oh what a bright idea! Kat, what do you think about a tea party?" Alice asked. The girl looked at her with confusion. "You will like a tea party, they are quite fun." She smiled. "But first I have some sewing that needs to be done, would you like to assist me, Kat?" She looked to the girl. Katarina looked back up at Alice with a blank stare then shoved her hand in her mouth. Alice sighed.

"I'll take that as a yes." She adjusted Katarina on her hip.

"Having trouble with the language of toddler?" Tarrant teased. Alice shot him a mock glare.

"I am going to do perfectly fine, Mr. Tarrant Hightopp!" She said, coming close to him and pointing her finger straight into his chest. Tarrant looked to Katarina and then reached up to grab the hand Alice was pestering him with. He then leaned close and kissed her on the mouth. Alice pushed away, embarrassed.

"Not in front of the child!" She gasped.

"I am sure that she's seen that plenty of times." He sighed pushing past her.

"Are you leaving to go deliver the hats?" She asked.

"Yes, I am. I'll be back around lunch, my fair one." He said and quickly turned, catching her jaw between his worn fingers. He kissed her again. She blushed and placed a hand over Katarina's eyes. The baby squealed in protest. Tarrant tipped his hat to her and then left the house.

"I do believe it's just you and me. I am glad to have a girl around the house; you can weigh in your opinion about the new dress I am designing." Alice said as she walked off down the hall with Katarina in tow.

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Alice was concentrating on the picture that she had sketched of her design. It wasn't the most precise sketch and it didn't help that the blonde changed her mind every day. If only she worked as fast on dresses as Tarrant did with his hats she could finally finish the piece.

She had sat Katarina on the floor of the room with her chewing block and a roll of yarn. Let the girl chase it about the room, she figured. She then turned to the table where she kept her drawings and began to furiously study the pieces. She was chewing her pencil in quiet concentration when she realized that the room was quiet. Only too quiet. Turning in her chair she found to her dismay a very empty floor. She shot up.

"Good job, Alice. You're given a child and you've lost her in a matter of hours." She shoved the pencil behind her ear. She looked about the room and realized that the door was open. Katarina must have given up on the block and the yarn and gone on her way out. Alice hurriedly left the room.

As she stood in the hall trying to figure out which way the babe could possibly have gone she heard a crash. She proceeded further down and found that the noise came from her husband's work room.

"Oh, god no!" She cried and broke into a run. The door was fully open and Alice almost fainted at the sight.

Ribbons had been pulled from their bins and strewn all about the floor. Some of them were still wet from a young girl's mouth. Several bolts of fabric had been pulled down from their tables; a few that were leaning were now knocked over. Yarn and lace were strewn about the floor; some of the lace was ripped into bits. Most was covered in spittle.

Moving deeper into the room Alice groaned at the mess. Sequins had been dumped all about the floor and thrown. The box that contained accessories like birds, flowers, and clocks had been dumped. One of the birds had their heads chewed off. Alice bent down to examine it. "Poor little thing, didn't even stand a chance."

Straightening herself Alice realized, to her horror, that the culprit had yet to be caught. Alice heard a small laugh and turned to find Katarina, her hand on the edge of a box that contained small beads and pearls.

"Kat, we have to clean up this mess!" She scolded as she stepped over a pile of an upended bow box. The contents were strewn about. Katarina giggled and bounced on her chubby legs. Alice smiled at the girl's cuteness. "Yes it looks as though you've had fun but- NO! No Katarina Stayne don't-" It was too late. Katarina pulled on the box of bead and pearls that soon found their way to the floor. They poured all over the floor, bouncing this way and that, rolling past her feet. Alice went to take a step to round up the toddler but her foot found a pile of beads instead of the floor. Alice went from looking at Kat to looking at the ceiling, her feet in the air and her back paining. She groaned.

"Next time, make sure doors are shut," She moaned to herself.

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Alice had spent the entire morning cleaning her husband's work room; she still didn't think she put all the items in their proper place. She had barricaded Katarina in a corner with large bolts of fabric, interlocking them and placing heavy things on the outside so that the little girl couldn't knock them over. Alice's posterior pained her and she was developing a headache. She had finally cleaned up the room and had taken Katarina, bringing her to the room for lunch. Alice had found a baby chair among some of the things in the storage room (it must have belonged to Tarrant's family, she assumed) and placed Katarina in it. She then went to preparing Mock Turtle soup. Katarina was quite hungry and was making her state known by banging the chewing block against the chair's wooden tray. The clanging was incessant and Alice was growing impatient.

"You are a terrible drummer!" Alice sighed. "You are beating Time all wrong. And he hates to be beaten as it is." She said crossly. Katarina looked at the woman innocently and stuck the block in her mouth. Alice sighed and reached into her cold cabinet. She pulled out some bread for the girl to chew upon as she waited for the soup and placed a hunk on the tray. She turned back to the soup.

When Alice turned around to fetch a bowl she found to her horror that not only had Katarina managed to pull apart the bread and throw it all over the cleaned floor but she must not have approved of its taste either. Hunks of chewed and spit out globs covered the floor. She had also managed to get her hands on the salt and pepper shakers that were on the table and the seasonings were all over the floor.

"Did you take cooking lessons from the Duchess' chef?" Alice groaned as she placed a bowl of soup and a spoon on the young one's tray. She bent over to try to scoop up the bread pieces and sweep the seasonings up when Tarrant walked in.

"Wha' en teh nahme o' Whi'e?" He cried. Katarina giggled contentedly and waved her spoon in the air. It flung from her hands, hitting Alice in the head.

"Ow!" The blonde cried, rubbing the sore spot. Katarina looked down with concern and as she reached across the tray to grab the end to elevate herself she upset the bowl of soup. Down it came all over Alice. The woman paused in her action, startled by the feeling of broth and mock turtle chunks making their way down her back and into the crevices of her breasts. She felt the liquid seeping through her blonde locks. "Ugh!" She bolted up. Tarrant had his hand across his mouth.

"What do you expect placing a bowl of soup in front of a younging?" He tried to hold back his laugh. Alice sighed. "I'll keep an eye on her, my love, as you go and clean yourself up." He chuckled. Alice put her fingers through her hair and they came out sticky with soup. She felt the soup now making its way into her drawers and bolted for the room. This babysitting business was much more complicated than she first thought.

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It took Tarrant and Alice quite a while to restore the kitchen as Katarina insisted on throwing her utensils at the pair. They made such funny noises when struck that she couldn't help herself. Alice was fair from bemused by the little girl's antics.

"She's doing it because she's two." Tarrant assured her. "Not because she has a vendetta against you, love." He kissed her cheek and assured her that the tea party would go more smoothly. They would tag team the little girl. Alice hugged him tightly in thanks and he kissed her on the top of her head.

"You taste of Mock Turtle soup," He mused. Alice did not, however, find this something to be laughed at.

She was glad that Katarina seemed to be enjoying the tea party at the very least and handed the girl a scone.

"You can throw this all you want." She laughed. "Perhaps you've better aim than good old Thack."

"New wen cahn thro' a skon' lyke meh!" The Hare protested. Mally quickly chucked a scone at the Hare's head. She giggled in contentment.

"Scone!" Katarina giggled.

"You and Thackery could be sugar lumps in tea." Tarrant smiled at the girl. She chucked the scone across the table and it hit Mally.

"'Ey, watch w'ere ya throw tha'!" She protested. Katarina giggled. Alice was busily eating a cupcake when Tarrant turned to her.

"There's nothing that she can do here that Thack and Mally don't. This place is a mess!" He smiled with pride. Alice scrunched her nose at him in agreement and he kissed the tip. "Perhaps you'll make a good mother yet. You look stunning with a baby." He waggled his eyebrows. Alice giggled and then looked away.

"Perhaps, though this baby thing is hard." She said taking another bite of her cupcake. "After spending hours cleaning up your office-"

"What happened in my office?" Tarrant said with a stern voice. Alice blushed and took another bite of cupcake.

"Yeh'll mahke a regewla' skone thro'er ye'!" Thack said with a laugh. Alice tried to ignore Tarrant's irate look and looked down at her cupcake wrapper.

"Oh, Kat just wanted to rearrange some of your things. Regular home designer, you know. She learned organization from her mother-" Alice answered and promptly took another bite of cupcake.

"Yew are quite teh sweet ea'er!" Mally mused. Alice glanced over and saw the girl munching on a large piece of cake.

"I don't organize like a Stayne I organize like a Hightopp!" Tarrant cried.

"Shoul' she be eatin' tha' much cake?" Mally asked Thackery.

"I didn't mean for it to happen! I was working on the dress and I got distracted and-"

"Shay's ohn 'er thir' cupcake!" Thackery observed with amazement.

"Ahlice! Yew 'ave ta pay attention ta li'le ones!" Tarrant said with frustration.

"I know that now!" Alice said with anger.

"They ahre trouble magnets!" Tarrant's brogue was rough as he was growing impatient with his wife.

"Tarrant I said I was sorry. I clean the whole bloody office as is!" She cried out. "I tried to make things right!" Tarrant was rubbing his face in frustration. Alice noticed the table cloth was moving. She looked up and found that the girl had a hold on the edge of it and was shrieking with glee. Chocolate covered her face and her arms up to the elbows was covered in icing. Alice groaned.

"You're mother is going to kill me!" She said, rising to go and wipe the girl off. Katarina took the table cloth again in her fists and squealed.

"No!" Tarrant cried, trying to grab the lass in time.

It was too late. With a yank Katarina had removed the table cloth and all of its from the table. The sound of smashing porcelain filled the air. The cloth was beginning to become stained by tea. Mally clapped loud and Thackery was banging his spoon upon the table in celebration. Tarrant stared dumb struck at the giggling child and Alice once again found herself with her face in her hands.

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Alannah arrived that evening to pick up her daughter from the Hightopp's abode. She was welcomed by a very weary looking Alice and a very hyper baby. Katarina was bouncing in Alice's arms and small bits of chocolate were visible around the young girl's mouth. Alannah suspected that she had been introduced to the Hightopp way of tea parties.

"How was she?" Alannah smiled as she saw how tired Alice looked.

"She was two," The woman responded.

"No less curious than you once were." Alannah added with a smile. Alice sighed.

"Most likely not," She admitted. "You child is full of spunk."

"That's how we make them." Alannah winked. "I hope she didn't wear you out too much." She giggled as Alice was desperately trying to stay away, leaning against the doorpost.

"No, no, not at all." The blonde yawned.

"Thank you again, Alice."

"I'll have to hear….all…." She yawned again. "…about….your night." She said. Tarrant came up from behind his weary wife.

"Tarrant," Alannah acknowledge him with a nod as she took her bouncing baby.

"She had a couple too many sweets," He confessed with a blush as he pointed at Katarina.

"I can tell," Alannah smiled. "She'll settle right out as soon as she crashes. What's the verdict?" She gestured toward Alice who lulled against Tarrant.

"I'm planning on waiting." Alice said wearily. "Praise Time it's not mine yet." Alannah laughed at her friend and nodded her head.

"Glad I could be of service in your decision." She smiled. "Good night, Hightopps."

"Fairfarren," The couple said in unison before turning to head in, Tarrant shutting the door behind them. Alannah cuddled her girl close with a kiss as she walked away.

"I believe you may have given Alice a taste of her own medicine, you curious little baby." She said with a smile.

Back at the house Alice promptly went back to collapse on the bed. She fell asleep immediately.

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><p><strong>You can check out all the characters that Rang has made yourself. Read the stories, they are dangerous addicting :)<strong>


	2. Trial 2 Katarina and Michael

**Written for Ranguvar27; it includes her characters Alannah, Katarina, and Michael. I don't own these characters. Nor do I own Tarrant or Alice...sigghhh. I just own the story XD **

**So here's to Rang and I hope she likes it!**

**You should read her stories as well...they are REALLY good!**

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><p>Alice sighed as she put her feet upon on the auto man of the overstuffed chair she had tossed her weary body into. Tarrant chuckled at her as she brought a foot up to the opposite thigh and began to rub the arch, hissing as the muscles contracted.<p>

"Hard day?" He asked pausing to look down upon her ragged state.

"Stayne children are nothing but trouble." She threw her arms on the edge of the couch as Tarrant sat on the foot rest, taking her feet in his lap and rubbing them in his rough hands.

"Really? Do tell." He murmured and Alice sighed; recalling the day she had just spent.

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><p>Alannah Stayne appeared at the door just after lunch, a baby in one hand and a seven year old Katarina at her feet. Michael, the babe, was pulling at his mother's ginger hair and babbling. Most of Alannah's hair had been chewed by the young one's mouth and she was untangled a strand from his budding teeth as she smiled at Alice.<p>

"Thank you so much for taking them in on such short notice." She said with a sigh. "I have to go help a Healer in a distant town with an outbreak of spotty pox and Ilosovic is out of town." She placed her well worked hand upon Katarina's dark head.

"That's not a problem at all." Alice said with a smile. She had welcomed the thought of children, her house still barren of little ones. Though, every time Katarina Stayne came over Alice found herself in no rush to be giving birth anytime soon. She hadn't babysat both Staynes at once yet, Michael still being a fairly young child. He had just crested a year old and it seemed that Alannah was a little more comfortable now with her youngest in the hands of another. "I just have so laundry to do and a bit of bread making. I am sure that Katarina is going to be a big help."

"She should be," Alannah leaned over to plant a kiss on her daughter's head before giving it another pat. "You heard Aunt Alice; you are going to be a good girl?"

"Of course mother," She said in a very exasperated, childish sigh. Her mother swatted the back of her head as she directed her into the house.

"Don't show your mother any lip, young lady," She scolded. "I expect that you are going to help with Michael?"

"Yes, mum." She said a little more politely and Alannah smiled in approval. Alice held out her thin arms to take Michael in them and Alannah thanked Alice one more time.

"Let me just go and get his bag of things. There is a bottle in there in case he wants water or something but he should be alright eating the mashed dinner I've put in the jar." She said before turning to fetch the bag from her carriage.

She returned moments later with a woven bag and handed it to Alice. "It has some more diapers in it. I know you have learned what to do with them; you don't have to worry about laundering them yourself, just put them back in the bag, rolled up in the corner."

"Of course, Alannah." Alice said with a nod. Alannah gave her friend a one handed hug and kissed her cheek.

"Alright, Michael, you behave," She pinched his cheek and then kissed it with a large smack. Alice smiled watching the bond between mother and baby. "Rina, that applies to you too." She called into the Windmill house.

"Yes mum," Katarina called back.

"They'll be fine," Alice assured her and shoved Alannah out on her way.

"Alright, thank you again Alice. You don't know how much trouble you've saved me." She said and blew Michael a kiss before turning to climb aboard her buggy.

Alice and the boy watched her ride off into the Tugley Woods before turning to catch Katarina.

"Alright little one, we are headed out back. I have laundry I am finishing," She said sternly.

"I can help with that," Katarina replied and bounded after Alice as she made her way to the back door.

The woman had already scrubbed most of the dirty clothes but she still had a small stack left of undergarments. She brought the basket out back, rummaging through it as she set Michael down on the ground, and with a cry of delight she found a small baby rattle for him to play with. She handed it to him and he immediately took it in his pudgy hands, shaking the toy obnoxiously.

"Right, as long as it keeps you happy." She said with a sigh and turned back to the metal wash bin and board. She knelt down before the ribbed device and dove her hands into the soapy water, fetching a chemise. She began to run it up and down the board, scrubbing vigorously. It was tiring work and Alice found herself sweating. She had put Katarina to work by having her rinse the garment in the clean water of another wash bin and afterwards hang them up to dry.

The day was falling and Alice found that she was nearly done; though she wasn't paying much attention to the amount of things that weren't being rinsed by Katarina and were still hanging over the edge of the soapy water wash bin. Glancing up she found a horror scene.

Michael had crawled over to the sheets that Alice had washed thoroughly and pulled them down, he was running his spit all over them and when he finished with one he cast it away, pulling down another. He was covered mud and he was beginning to crawl all over the lavender, white, and gold sheets leaving muddle crawl prints. Alice gasped in horror.

"Michael!" She cried, startling the child into crying. She picked up the baby and held him close, his muddy hand entangling in her blonde hair and his dirty clothes imprinting their filth on her dress. Glancing around furiously she saw that Katarina was nowhere to be found.

"Where did your sister run off to?" She growled and immediately began to search the ground.

To Alice's horror the only sign of movement she saw was a disturbed bush leading into the Tugley Woods.

"She wouldn't," She looked to Michael with disbelief but he offered no help. He stuck a muddy thumb in his mouth, his chin no covered in soil. Alice pulled it out in exasperation."She would."

With Michael in hand Alice set out into the Tugley Wood. She gave no thought at first that she wasn't wearing any shoes until she stepped on a stinging weed; its spikes digging into her heel and ankle. She gave a loud gasp and immediately stopped, bending over to bring her foot to her hand. She rubbed it and felt the poison making its way up her leg. It wouldn't kill her but it would certain sting and swell for days. Limping forward she trudged deeper into the woods.

"KATARINA!" She cried into the hallows but no sound came. That was until she found herself in a very densely forested part of the woods, the tree branches letting in little sunlight. "KATARINA STAYNE!" She screamed.

"RAWR!" Something jumped down from the treetops and Alice gave a scream of fright, clutching Michael to her bosom as she fell back into a bush.

"Did I scare you Aunty Alice?" A pleased voice came from the ground before her. Alice was gasping trying to calm her racing heart before getting to her feet. She glared at Katarina who had scaled another tree and was dangling from its branches.

"Where have you been?" She asked sourly.

"Oh, sorry," Kat's cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. "I saw a momerath and it was just screaming for me to follow it. I didn't think it'd go this far into the woods but it did. I heard you coming and I've been practicing really hard on my Jubb-Jubb impression…"

"Is that even allowed in your house?" Alice replied dolefully.

"Daidi isn't the biggest fan but the kids at school think it's superb." She said with a smile. She let go of the branch and landed on the ground in a squat. "Hey what happened to your foot? Looks like you stepped on a stinging weed; you should wear shoes in the forest." She said with a smile. Alice groaned.

"You could have gotten eaten by a Bandersnatch!"

"Naww, dad showed me how to escape one. There aren't any Bandersnatch in this part of the wood anyways." She said with a triumphant smile. "Gee, Aunt Alice, I thought you'd know a lot more about Underland than you do."

"Let's just get back." Alice said, clutching her forehead.

"Sure! Last one there's a rotten skunk!" She cried and bounded off toward the direction of the house. Alice groaned as she began her painful limping journey back to the house. Michael was chewing apart the curls of her hair with his spit and sharp teeth. Alice's foot burned like nothing else.

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><p>While Katarina managed to not burn down the house she did manage to get flour all over the kitchen, much to Alice's dismay. She didn't want to even stand any longer because her foot was paining her so but she had to clean up the mess. Her delay to do so led to not only a mud covered Michael but a flour covered one as well.<p>

"Kat, put your brother in the sink. I don't care if his clothes are on he's a mess." Alice sighed as she began to remedy the flour that had been ruined. Katarina responded with glee, throwing her brother clothes and all into the tub.

"Aunty Alice, when was the last time you changed him?" She asked with disgust and Alice physically slapped her hand to her forehead.

"I haven't," She groaned and Katarina looked to the soaking wet child with disgust. Alice wanted to cry but instead she lifted the boy out of the water and brought him to the bathroom, sticking him in the tub.

"There you are- a play crib so you can't escape. And you won't make a mess either." She sighed and went to return to cleaning her kitchen. After the mess had been straightened she commanded Katarina to watch the bread as she went to change Michael. She had grabbed the basket that Alannah had given to her bringing it into the room. Michael was standing on the edge of the tub eating a bar of soap and Alice groaned.

"Great, that's going to go well with your digestion." She groaned and took the bar from the baby's mouth. He began to wail but Alice ignored his cries of indignation, stripping him down.

She wished she could erase from her mind the soggy contents of Michael's diaper. With disgust she threw it into the toilet and took the detachable house of the shower in hand, twisting the tap on. Hot water gushed from the sink and she placed it to the boy's soft skin which caused him to scream in alarm. Alice panicked realizing the water was too hot and prayed that she hadn't scalded the boy kid.

After much wrestling she was proud that Michael was all cleaned and lifted him from the tub. She grabbed a towel and took the boy in her arms wrapping his back up. She was about to bring the end of the towel around his front but was too late. The cooler air caused Michael to urinate all over Alice and she cried out in shock. Quickly she wrapped the boy up, trying to mop up the mess he had made on her.

"Aunt Alice," Katarina interrupted her as she stood in the doorway.

"WHAT?" Alice's thin patience was being stretched.

"I think the bread is burning," She said. "I didn't want to take it out without you there because my mum always tells me not to-"

"Oh!" Alice cried, thrusting the naked Michael into Katarina's arms. She ran out to the kitchen to grab the bread with bare hands. She screamed as the hot loaf scalded her hands and dropped the rock hard food to the ground where it crumbled ever where. She was nursing her burnt fingers with her mouth when Tarrant walked in.

"Hello love," He said beginning with a smile but it fell as she noticed she was sucking on her hand. "Alice, did you burn yourself?" He asked in a panic. She nodded her head, tears coming to her eyes. He quickly picked up a washbasin and thrust her hand into the cool water. "Keep it there love for a bit." He leaned over as if to kiss her but his nose inhaled sharply before his lips touched her throat.

"You smell frumious."

"Thanks dearest." She said bitterly.

"What happened?" He asked, gathering her chewed blonde curls in his worn, thimbled hands.

"Michael Stayne and his pee happened." She said hollowly.

"Oh, you had both Staynes over today?" He said walking from her to pick up the bread.

"Yes, it's been absolutely terrible." She said with a tear rolling down her cheek. "Kat ran into the woods, Michael covered himself in everything-"

"They're just being kids. Wait till we have our own, love." He said. "Looks like Katarina is trying to save the day as it is."

She turned to see that Katarina had diapered and dressed Michael. She sat him in his portable high chair and went to fetch the basket. She returned and gave the child his bottle of water, taking the jar of baby food in her hands and unscrewed the lid. She then fetched a tea spoon from the silverware drawer and began to feed the small baby. Alice sighed in relief.

"You go change, love, I'll keep an eye on them. Alice sighed, limping to the room to change, already completely drained from watching the two rambunctious children.

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><p>Alannah arrived shortly after dinner to fetch her two children. She looked just as tired as Alice felt and she said that the outbreak had been pretty severe. Most of the children and some of the adults had it. She was glad she didn't bring Michael or Katarina because she didn't want them exposed yet. She had thanked Alice for all her help and took her tuckered out boy from Alice's arms. He promptly fell asleep in his mother's grip. Alannah also had Katarina fetch an antidote for the stinging weed scratch from her wagon. The girl returned to give it to Alice with a sly smile.<p>

"You really shouldn't go into the Tugley Woods without proper shoes," Alannah advised her. Alice thanked her for her wise words but couldn't help but shoot a glare at Katarina who giggled behind her mother. Bidding the woman goodnight, Alice shut the door, downed the potion, and slumped into the arm chair, not moving for any hour.

Until Tarrant came out of his shop and she recounted the entire time to him.

"I really want to wait for kids." She said with a sigh. Tarrant laughed and reached over to kiss her hand gently. He then stood and lifted her into his arms kissing her cheek hungrily.

"I'm not really in the mood," She climbed from his arms and his grin turned into a frown.

"I don't want you having kids any time soon then either," He said teasingly. Alice laughed and motioned him toward the bedroom.

"I won't torture you but I don't want to be too long." She said seductively. "Children are quite the energy sappers."

"We are going to have kids, right Alice?" Tarrant said warily.

"Indeed." She smiled. "But not two at once. We'll let one grow up and then we'll have another." She sighed.

"You'd best be careful or Time is going to give you twins." Tarrant said with a laugh.

"I can't even imagine that." Alice sighed as she walked wearily into the bedroom.


End file.
